In seven games with Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback this season, the Cleveland Browns had not exceeded 18 points nor gained more than 336 yards in any game.
On Sunday, the Browns gained 401 yards in a 29-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens with former Hueytown High School star Jameis Winston at quarterback.
Watson sustained a season-ending Achilles tendon injury last week in Cleveland’s 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He bowed out for 2024 with five touchdown passes in seven games.
In his first start since Sept. 25, 2022, Winston threw three touchdown passes, including a 38-yard toss to wide receiver Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds to play to lift Cleveland to its second victory of the season.
Winston moved the Browns 69 yards in 1:37 to get the game-winning touchdown.
Winston completed 27-of-41 passes for 334 yards. He did not have an interception, but he did lose a fumble.
Winston threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Davis Njoku as Cleveland took a 13-10 lead with 10:46 left in the third quarter and a 22-yard TD pass to Tillman as Cleveland went in front 20-19 with 2:01 left in the third quarter.
Winston was among the 37 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the eighth Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.
Eight other former state players were involved in the Baltimore-Cleveland game:
· Ravens wide receiver Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) started at linebacker for the Browns. Diabate made a career-high eight tackles to tie for the lead on Cleveland’s defense, and he also made one tackle on special teams. In his third NFL start, Diabate had one tackle for loss and one pass breakup, too.
· Browns safety Chris Edmonds (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford) started at nose tackle for the Ravens. Pierce did not record any stats before leaving with a calf injury.
· Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) started at defensive end for the Browns. Smith made four tackles, recorded one sack and registered two tackles for loss.
· Browns wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville) started at linebacker for the Browns. In his first NFL start, the rookie made one tackle on defense and two tackles on special teams.
· Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
In the other Sunday games:
Philadelphia Eagles 37, Cincinnati Bengals 17
· Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship made eight tackles and broke up one pass.
· Eagles defensive back James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) started at edge rusher for the Eagles. Huff made two tackles.
· Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne) made two extra points and a 27-yard field goal. His field-goal attempt from 54 yards went wide left.
· Cam Taylor-Britt (Park Crossing) started at cornerback for the Bengals. Taylor-Britt tied for the team lead with nine tackles and broke up one pass.
Detroit Lions 52, Tennessee Titans 14
· Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible play.
Houston Texans 23, Indianapolis Colts 20
· Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (Clay-Chalkville) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) had four receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown. Dell caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud as Houston took a 17-10 lead with 17 seconds left in the first half.
· Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) started at right offensive tackle for the Texans.
· Kamari Lassiter (American Christian) started at cornerback for the Texans. Lassiter made three tackles and broke up three passes after missing two games because of a shoulder injury.
· Texans safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson) was designated as a game-day inactive. A groin injury kept Ward out of the lineup.
Green Bay Packers 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 27
· Jaguars defensive end DJ Coleman (Jacksonville State) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Josh Hines-Allen (Abbeville) started at defensive end for the Jaguars. Hines-Allen made four tackles and shared one sack.
· Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) did not record any stats.
Arizona Cardinals 28, Miami Dolphins 27
· Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing, Miles) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Dolphins defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) did not record any stats in his 2024 season debut. The Dolphins elevated Farrell from the practice squad to make him eligible to play.
· Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Hill had six receptions for 72 yards.
· Dolphins cornerback Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.
· Cardinals wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Starling Thomas V (Ramsay, UAB) started at cornerback for the Cardinals.
New England Patriots 25, New York Jets 22
· Patriots center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) started at cornerback for the Patriots. Jones made six tackles, broke up one pass and returned three punts for 73 yards, including a 62-yarder. Jones’ long punt return allowed New England to start its first possession of the second half on the New York 26-yard line, and the field position produced a touchdown as the Patriots took a 14-13 lead with 10:55 left in the third quarter.
· Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy) made four tackles on defense and one tackle on special teams.
· Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams made eight tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
Atlanta Falcons 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26
· Buccaneers cornerback Keenan Isaac (Midfield, Alabama State) did not record any stats.
· Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) started at wide receiver for the Falcons. Mooney had five receptions for 92 yards and one touchdown. Mooney caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins as Atlanta took a 21-14 lead with 2:09 left in the first half.
Los Angeles Chargers 26, New Orleans Saints 8
· Chargers safety A.J. Finley (St. Paul’s Episcopal) did not record any stats.
· Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (Troy) ran for 16 yards on six carries.
Buffalo Bills 31, Seattle Seahawks 10
· Bills defensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Bills linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville) did not record any stats.
· Seahawks outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (Troy) recorded the second sack of his NFL career.
Denver Broncos 28, Carolina Panthers 14
· Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Broncos linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford) made two tackles. Denver elevated Alexander from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.
· Broncos linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Michael Jackson (Spain Park) started at cornerback for the Panthers. Jackson made a career-high 10 tackles.
· Panthers tight end Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) did not record any stats.
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Las Vegas Raiders 20
· Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) had a 9-yard reception and a 2-yard run.
· Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen) started at cornerback for the Raiders. Bennett made six tackles.
· Raiders quarterback Carter Bradley (South Alabama) dressed for the game but did not play. Las Vegas elevated Bradley from its the practice squad to make him eligible to play. Sunday’s game was the first in Bradley’s NFL career in which he was eligible to play.
· Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford) had a 14-yard kickoff return in his 2024 debut. Kansas City elevated Washington from the practice squad to make him eligible to play.
Washington Commanders 18, Chicago Bears 15
· Bears tight end Gerald Everett (UAB/South Alabama) had a 3-yard reception.
· Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama) made one tackle on special teams.
· Commanders offensive tackle Trent Scott (Lee-Huntsville) did not record any stats.
· Bears cornerback Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
San Francisco 49ers 30, Dallas Cowboys 24
· Forty-Niners cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (South Alabama) made one tackle on special teams.
· Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Cowboys. Tolbert had three receptions for 44 yards.
· Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Week 8 started on Thursday night, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-20.
Week 8 concludes on Monday, when the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
